Boiler-tube cleaner



(No Model.)

T. D. STET$0N. BOILER TUBE CLEANER.

No. 465,437. Patented Dec. 15, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT Y 'OFFicE.

THOMAS DREW STETSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO RICHARD THOMPSON,or SAME PLACE, AND JOHN s. BUSHNELL, on BROOKLYN,

NElV YORK.

BOILER-TUBE CLEANER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,437, dated December15, 1891. Application filed September 7, 1891. Serial No. 4051049- (Nomodel" the State of New York, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Boiler- Tube Cleaners, of which the following-is aspecification.

My tube-cleaner may be applied to either end of aset of tubes; but ismore especially intended for the end farthest from the furnace. Itremoves the loose ashes and soot accumulated in the tubes by inducing apartial vacuum by jets of steam and applies to the plane surface of thetube-sheet around the tube, thus avoiding any obstruction of the tubeand making its whole area available for the fpassage of thecleaning-current of air or gas. dry air or dry gas, thus avoiding theliability of caking the soot experienced with tubecleaners, in which thejets are projected in the opposite direction, so as to mingle steam withthe soot and dampen it in pushing it through the long tubes. N.RNVheelers patent of- 1865 showed a tube-cleaner of this class similarlyapplying outside of the tube end and having the steam act in thisdirection;.but his cleaner employed only a singlecentral jet, and thepipe through which it was introduced was necessarily extended into thepassage and formed an obstruction. PL 11. Grimm in 1888 patented atube-cleaning device in which there was an annular chamber or hollowbelt supplied with steam at high pressure extending around the device,with a multitude of small jets delivered therefrom obliquely inward; butthey were inclined in the direction to push instead of pull the loosematerial in thetube. More recently R. Thom ppacking to make a tightjoint around a taper .ing nozzle thrust into the tube end.

This obstructs the tube, giving always less than its full area forefiective action or suction, and it cannot match a large range of sizesof tubes. My improved cleaner, by applying to The light material isdislodged by the tube-sheet around the exterior of the tube, likeWheelers, avoids this difficulty, and it moves the material in the samedirection as lVheelers by inducing less pressure of air or suction atthe end where the device is applied. It is important with this mode ofoperating to make a Very tight connection between the cleaning deviceand the several tubes to which it is applied. I attain this by providinga suitable cylindrical nozzle on the metallic part with a flange oroffset to make a firm abutment and fitting thereon a ring or short tubeof soft vulcauizedrubber and causing the latter to project beyond themetallic part. The soft rim thus projecting can yield elastically andmay make a close joint when applied even to a quite irregular surface.The face of a tube sheet or metallic plate in which the tubes are set isusually plane; but there are roughnesses and irregularities which allowthe introduction of air when only the smooth metallic nozzle is pressedagainst it, and as tubes are ordinarly set the tube ends project so asto present considerable devia tion from the plane condition. The softrimof my device maybe considerably larger than the tubes, and is liable torest on such ridges, especially when carelessly placed. Its soft andelastic character allows it to adapt itself to such irregular surfaces.I

My cleaner of a given size will apply to a wide range of sizes of tubes.The fact that my soft rim is of large diameter, giving great area to thecircle inclosed, is of advantage,

both by presenting a broad bearing-surface,

contributing to aid the operatorin applying the device fairly againstthe tube-sheet, and also by presenting a greater area within itsinterior, within which area the partial vacuum is felt, and thusinducing a greater pressure of the device against the boiler, andconsequently a tighter joint between them.

hen my cleaner of a given size is employed to clean tubes which are verysmall and set closely together, there is a liability that the soft rimshall cover or partially cover the adjacent tubes, which, by allowingair or gases to be drawn through them, as well as through the centraltube which is being cleaned, would embarrass or defeat the result.Iprovide for such contingencies by employing a removable ing figuresshow portions on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is an end Fig. 2 is a sideelevation. view. Fig. 4: is a vertical section showing the deviceapplied to a small tube. Fig.5 is a similar View showing the deviceapplied in position to clean a tube of larger diameter.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures where they appear. v

- A is a tube, and A the tube-sheet or the plane portion of the boiler,in which the tube is set.

E is the body of my device, certain portions being designated whennecessary by super numerals.

B is the receivingnozzle, or the portion which is presented toward thetube-sheet A, and would apply fairly against it, except for my softring, to be presently described.

B is my delivery-nozzle.

B is a belt or ring kept filled with steam at the boiler-pressure, whichis supplied through the nozzle B and the connecting-tube 0, bringingsteam supplied through a nozzle 0' and connected hose E from the dome orother high portion of the boiler. (Not shown.) A series of perforationsb are drilled or otherwise produced in the interior of the steam-belt Binclined in the direction shown, so that the fine ly-divided currents ofhigh-pressure steam issuing from these perforations are projected in thedirection to pull the air through the tube A, forming a partial vacuumin the interior of the device, which can only be supplied by a currentof dry air or of gaseous products of combustion drawn through the tubeentering at the opposite end and emerging through this cleaner.

The delivery-nozzle B is preferably set at about a right angle with thereceiving-nozzle A, so that by holding the device properly the mingledcurrent of air, soot, and steam may be ejected into theuptake andcarried away. When the device 'is applied with the boiler in use, thesteam is dry in consequence of the high temperature of the gaseousproducts of combustion with which it is mingled. In the cases when thedevice is applied to a cold boiler 01' to one after the fire has beendrawn or banked the conditions will develop little disposition to cakingof the soot, because it is driven immediately out through the. shortnozzle B G is a ring of soft vulcanized rubber. It

may be a short length of rubber hose made of good material and free fromfiber. Such hose will endure a high temperature, and in case it isburned or becomes from any cause worn. cracked, or otherwise impaired itcan be removed and a new ring substituted with little expense or labor.There is little strain on this ring, and it will be held sufficiently bybeing fitted close and abutting against a flange B formed around thenozzle B at a sufficient distance from the end to give a fair bearing. Awire F may be wound tightly around to confine this ring G, if desired.It is important that its front edge or rim shall extend sufficientlybeyond the metal of the nozzle B to match to all ordinary irregularitiesof the tubesheet and make a tight joint all around between this soft rimand the tubesheet to prevent any air being drawn in between thosesurfaces when the device is in use.

His a removable ring of soft vulcanized rubber adapted to apply withinthe soft rim G and abutting against the edge of the metallic nozzle Band extends a little beyond the face of the rim G. This ring shouldextend inward radially a little beyond the inner face of the nozzle B.It is useful only in cases when thedevice is used. to clean small tubes,which are set close together. tubes are cleaned, this ring H is removedand the soft rim G is pressed directly against the boiler, as abovedescribed. When small tubes are to be cleaned and the rim G would beliable to include portions of the adjacent tubes, the ring H is insertedand forms itself a soft bearing-surface so much within the soft rim Gthat it bears against the smooth surface of the tube-sheet and makes therequired tight joint.

The handle D, which may be of wood, is inserted into the socket G in theend of the tube 0 and forms a convenient means by which the device maybe easily managed by the attendant, so as to be successivelyand rapidlyapplied to cover the ends of and clean the several tubes one afteranother.

Modifications maybe made without departing from the principle orsacrificing the advantages of the invention.

Parts of the invention may be used without the whole. The tube 0 may beshorter or may be dispensed with, the flexible hose E being connecteddirectlyto the nozzle 13, if preferred.

I claim as my invention- 1. The metallic body B, having'areceivingnozzle B, adapted to match approximately to the face of thetube-sheet adjacent to the tube, and provisions, as the perforatedsteam-belt B b, nozzle B, and supply-pipe C, for discharging steam athigh pressure in the direction to induce a partial vacuum in the tube,

.in combination with the soft ring G, extend- When large.

to the tube-sheet, all substantially as herein specified.

2. The metallic body B, having a receivingnozzle B, adapted to matchapproximately to the face of the tube-sheet adjacent to the tube, andprovisions, as the perforated steam-belt B b, nozzle 13*, andsupply-pipe O, discharging steam at high pressure in the direction toinduce a partial Vacuum in the tube, in combination with the soft ringG, extending beyond the metallic part and adapted to make atight jointwhen the device is applied to the tube-sheet, and with the additionalremovable soft ring H, matching in the interior of the ring G, alladapted to serve as herein specified.

3. The tube-cleaner described, composed of the metallic body B,receiving-nozzle 13',

above set forth I affix my signature in pres 3o ence of two witnesses.

THOMAS DREW STETSON.

Vitnesses:

WM. BAGGER, M. F. BOYLE.

